Clumsy F1 car launch metaphor ends here

Welcome to the latest version of F1 Fanatic which has been extensively updated for the season ahead.

The goals of the changes included: improving the site’s appearance and functionality across a range of different screen sizes; making navigation clearer and simpler; reducing page load times; fixing existing problems; and adding new features requested by users.

Among the changes you will notice are:

A wider content area for large screen sizes which scales down for smaller screens and mobile devices

Larger default video formats

Larger images in articles and on image preview pages (on new articles)

Usernames (e.g. @keithcollantine) now appear next to comments for easier @-messaging

Revised and reorganised menus with an extra level added to the drop-down

New footer includes archive, popular articles, Predictions Championship standings and members list

Improved avatar handling

Various style fixes and improvements

This latest change should also provide a better platform for expansion and improvement in the future.

As ever please leave feedback below.

If you experience a technical problem please tell us about it via this link, which includes instructions on how to supply the right information so we can identify and fix any errors:

66 comments on F1 Fanatic joins F1 teams in launching a new design for 2012

@keithcollantine: really like the changes. Especially the predictions leader board and the user ids.
I noticed that the header is not getting aligned property with ad (as mentioned by some of the others as well);not sure if this is by design.

Hehehe , more test drivers than the Lotus of last year ;) ! But kudos to you all especially our team principal @keithcollantine for doing an excellent job. Layout looks very clean and efficient. Also like the leaderboard of the predictions championship.

…On the subject of presentation and layout, I happen to have seen some of the broadcast of the Sky F1 channel (although I am not purchasing it myself) and I have to say, I am not impressed by what I have seen so far. The thing that annoys me most is the liberal and needless use of “interactive technology” for the presenters, when in reality it serves almost no purpose except to pretend it is (as I said) being interactive. If I wanted to watch a TV presenter clumsily finger a TV screen in a studio to bring up a clip of an F1 overtake, rather than just showing me the clip on my TV I would hire one to stand in my living room. I don’t want to watch a TV of a TV.
It just seems that it is “over presentation”. A live 3D model of this or a touch screen that….next Sky will have a 3D recreation of each race before it happens and then spend half a day analysing it.

First version of F1F that feels solid in both its look as well as its interface, great account interface too. Props to all involved, it looks really good.

The only thing that looks a bit off is the background of the logo (and the bar behind the ad). That does not blend in with the background on the sides, which the rest of the bars in between sections do.

This F1 website is so far ahead of every other one that even without further in-season upgrades it’ll easily win the championship for most visitors!
Really loved the F1 metaphor @keithcollantine – and I also love the design. It’s far bigger than before and it’s really great for reading, and it looks as neat as possible. Well done!